Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

SCOTUS Roe v Wade posts

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.

Thekiwi

Active Member
Mar 31, 2016
2,708
28,464
Wellington
I think its a valid discussion, regardless of ones political leanings, that now there is an increased challenge for Tesla in the recruitment of top talent. Either potential female employees, or potential male employees with wives & daughters, it will be more of challenge to get the best AI and engineering talent etc to relocate to Texas from the states that traditionally output the best talent In those fields.

As an example, some large companies are already offering to fully cover relocation costs to other states to retain staff who wish to leave Texas. Salesforce for instance.
 
Last edited:
When selecting a location for the corporate HQ many factors influence the decision.

One factor is SpaceX operations in Texas.

But it is a long term decision, and the picture might look very different in 10 years time.

State demographics and political systems are never static, they can change, and do change.

The workplace culture, remuneration and career opportunity are big factors in career decisions, as is the local lifestyle, housing, schools, transport and entertainment.

And everyone has a vote, which they can use to shape the state in which they are living.
 
I think its a valid discussion, regardless of ones political leanings, that now there is an increased challenge for Tesla in the recruitment of top talent. Either potential female employees, or potential male employees with wives & daughters, it will be more of challenge to get the best AI and engineering talent etc to relocate to Texas from the states that traditionally output the best talent In those fields.

As an example, some large companies are already offering to fully cover relocation costs to other states to retain staff who wish to leave Texas. Salesforce for instance.
FWIW, regarding Tesla's potential Texas talent pool and the protection of women's rights in that city:

"Minutes after the high court handed down its decision, Austin City Council members announced they would call a special meeting to decriminalize abortion in the Texas capital. …[They] will introduce The GRACE Act (Guarding the Right to Abortion Care for Everyone) the week of July 18. The proposal directs the police department to make criminal enforcement related to abortion its lowest priority and restricts city funds and staff from being used to investigate, catalog, or report suspected abortions..."

Facing South: Progressive officials in Southern cities vow to protect abortion access

PS I heard one of the councilors interviewed on CBC Radio's As It Happens, the nightly current affairs program of our Canadian national radio network.
 
Last edited:
FWIW, regarding Tesla's potential Texas talent pool and the protection of women's rights in that city:

"Minutes after the high court handed down its decision, Austin City Council members announced they would call a special meeting to decriminalize abortion in the Texas capital. …[They] will introduce The GRACE Act (Guarding the Right to Abortion Care for Everyone) the week of July 18. The proposal directs the police department to make criminal enforcement related to abortion its lowest priority and restricts city funds and staff from being used to investigate, catalog, or report suspected abortions..."

Facing South: Progressive officials in Southern cities vow to protect abortion access

PS I heard one of the councilors interviewed on CBC Radio's As It Happens, the nightly current affairs program of our Canadian national radio network.
Aware this can range into OT, but I do believe it has relevance to Tesla HQ in Austin and its hiring ability long term. OK if it gets moderated out; not trying to go down the political rabbit hole but IMHO it must be touched on here.
Living in Austin these past few decades, and particularly these last few years, I can tell you that it is quite likely that the next state legislative assembly will make Austin's decision described above illegal by writing and passing a new state law. The state of Texas under its current longstanding single-party government takes note of any 'progressive' policy that Austin City Council passes, and immediately smacks it down at the state level - even things as simple and popular as a single-use-plastic bag ban. Austin passed this non-controversial 'bag ban' years ago (really just requiring a nominal fee for single-use plastic grocery bags, so not even a 'ban' per se), and the State roared and took control of that sort of rule away from Austin (and all other municipalities in Texas) - so yes, grocery stores have to hand out free single-use plastic bags all over the state now. The state legislature also did this when Austin mandated sick time for hourly employees within its city limits. There are other examples.
If the Texas Lege did that for something as minor and popular as the 'bag ban', I find it very likely they will find a way outlaw what Austin has done: lowering the enforcement priority on a hot-button issue like abortion.
Voices in the current Texas leadership have also made noises about "going after" companies that, like Tesla, offer medical travel benefits that would cover out of state abortion care. They were not clear on what "going after" would entail - right now, it sounds to me like just posturing / noise since Tesla and other high tech companies are cash cows, but not sure it will remain that way -- particularly given changes in the national abortion rights situation in these last few days.
Wanted to share my local Austin perspective on this with the group, again, trying to keep it Tesla-future relevant.
 
Aware this can range into OT, but I do believe it has relevance to Tesla HQ in Austin and its hiring ability long term. OK if it gets moderated out; not trying to go down the political rabbit hole but IMHO it must be touched on here.
Living in Austin these past few decades, and particularly these last few years, I can tell you that it is quite likely that the next state legislative assembly will make Austin's decision described above illegal by writing and passing a new state law. The state of Texas under its current longstanding single-party government takes note of any 'progressive' policy that Austin City Council passes, and immediately smacks it down at the state level - even things as simple and popular as a single-use-plastic bag ban. Austin passed this non-controversial 'bag ban' years ago (really just requiring a nominal fee for single-use plastic grocery bags, so not even a 'ban' per se), and the State roared and took control of that sort of rule away from Austin (and all other municipalities in Texas) - so yes, grocery stores have to hand out free single-use plastic bags all over the state now. The state legislature also did this when Austin mandated sick time for hourly employees within its city limits. There are other examples.
If the Texas Lege did that for something as minor and popular as the 'bag ban', I find it very likely they will find a way outlaw what Austin has done: lowering the enforcement priority on a hot-button issue like abortion.
Voices in the current Texas leadership have also made noises about "going after" companies that, like Tesla, offer medical travel benefits that would cover out of state abortion care. They were not clear on what "going after" would entail - right now, it sounds to me like just posturing / noise since Tesla and other high tech companies are cash cows, but not sure it will remain that way -- particularly given changes in the national abortion rights situation in these last few days.
Wanted to share my local Austin perspective on this with the group, again, trying to keep it Tesla-future relevant.
I think Tesla will just simply do the right thing, thus current and future female employees need not stress about that aspect of being employed in the state of Texas.

Going after Tesla is about as stupid as it gets and those that have done so have paid for it and/or will pay for it. Every day that passes, Tesla gets stronger and their opponents get weaker.
 
Aware this can range into OT, but I do believe it has relevance to Tesla HQ in Austin and its hiring ability long term. OK if it gets moderated out; not trying to go down the political rabbit hole but IMHO it must be touched on here.
Living in Austin these past few decades, and particularly these last few years, I can tell you that it is quite likely that the next state legislative assembly will make Austin's decision described above illegal by writing and passing a new state law. The state of Texas under its current longstanding single-party government takes note of any 'progressive' policy that Austin City Council passes, and immediately smacks it down at the state level - even things as simple and popular as a single-use-plastic bag ban. Austin passed this non-controversial 'bag ban' years ago (really just requiring a nominal fee for single-use plastic grocery bags, so not even a 'ban' per se), and the State roared and took control of that sort of rule away from Austin (and all other municipalities in Texas) - so yes, grocery stores have to hand out free single-use plastic bags all over the state now. The state legislature also did this when Austin mandated sick time for hourly employees within its city limits. There are other examples.
If the Texas Lege did that for something as minor and popular as the 'bag ban', I find it very likely they will find a way outlaw what Austin has done: lowering the enforcement priority on a hot-button issue like abortion.
Voices in the current Texas leadership have also made noises about "going after" companies that, like Tesla, offer medical travel benefits that would cover out of state abortion care. They were not clear on what "going after" would entail - right now, it sounds to me like just posturing / noise since Tesla and other high tech companies are cash cows, but not sure it will remain that way -- particularly given changes in the national abortion rights situation in these last few days.
Wanted to share my local Austin perspective on this with the group, again, trying to keep it Tesla-future relevant.
IMO it's not OT if half the world now can't be hired as an employee at our global headquarters.

How many highly educated innovative female engineers are interested in working in such a backward environment?
 
IMO it's not OT if half the world now can't be hired as an employee at our global headquarters.

How many highly educated innovative female engineers are interested in working in such a backward environment?

If we apply that same rule to the whole country, there should be a brain-drain out of the US ... so highly unlikely.

50-60 yrs ago, the US asked the world to criminalize marijuana, led the women movements in many ways ....
& 50 years later ..?

GreenDay frontman declared he is giving up his US citizenship .... how many willing to go to such extremes?
 
I think Tesla will just simply do the right thing, thus current and future female employees need not stress about that aspect of being employed in the state of Texas.

Going after Tesla is about as stupid as it gets and those that have done so have paid for it and/or will pay for it. Every day that passes, Tesla gets stronger and their opponents get weaker.
"Do the right thing" is the message companies are hoping the public takes. The financial department in companies have realized paying a few days off and travel expenses is cheaper than paying for maternity leave.
 
Mod-deleted jibberjabber
We are way OT here.

  • Many of Tesla's Texas workers are educated, well paid, and have good healthcare including reproductive benefits. A combination which rarely requires abortions.
  • Tesla added a benefit which includes reimbursements for out-of-state travel for healthcare... pointed at exactly this issue.

Now can we stop talking about this and get back to talking about TSLA?

I'm not exactly happy about the Texas situation either, but the idea that this specific issue is affecting Tesla's ability to hire top talent is rather ludicrous.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
IMO it's not OT if half the world now can't be hired as an employee at our global headquarters.

How many highly educated innovative female engineers are interested in working in such a backward environment?
Austin was by far the preferred location for the new factory/headquarters. I'm sure the Tesla employees were aware of the political environment outside of city limits. The recent developments are unfortunate, but foreseeable to many for quite some time. Just a bump in the road.
 
  • Disagree
Reactions: Captkerosene
We are way OT here.

  • Many of Tesla's Texas workers are educated, well paid, and have good healthcare including reproductive benefits. A combination which rarely requires abortions.
  • Tesla added a benefit which includes reimbursements for out-of-state travel for healthcare... pointed at exactly this issue.

Now can we stop talking about this and get back to talking about TSLA?

I'm not exactly happy about the Texas situation either, but the idea that this specific issue is affecting Tesla's ability to hire top talent is rather ludicrous.
I don’t see where your article or talking points refute what I stated.
 
  • Disagree
Reactions: UCF3 and Ogre
If we apply that same rule to the whole country, there should be a brain-drain out of the US ... so highly unlikely.

50-60 yrs ago, the US asked the world to criminalize marijuana, led the women movements in many ways ....
& 50 years later ..?

GreenDay frontman declared he is giving up his US citizenship .... how many willing to go to such extremes?
No need to debate anything, I think you can look around and pretty clearly read the temperature of the nation.

One could state with relative confidence a good 20-30% of talented female engineers now consider working in Texas a nonstarter. You can argue the rationality of those feelings, but I think it's safe to say they exist and it's a pretty conservative estimate.

Most will be willing to look past this, the mission and Tesla's ability to execute is a powerful draw, but it'll have an impact. If we look at this from a first principles perspective, it's a concern.

And that's without even considering those engineer's rights to life/liberty/etc. Purely from an innovation perspective.
 
"Do the right thing" is the message companies are hoping the public takes. The financial department in companies have realized paying a few days off and travel expenses is cheaper than paying for maternity leave.
That’s an interesting take on things. 😳

In the end, this isn’t a big deal for Tesla or most other companies. It’s not like professional women are using abortion as a form of every day birth control.
 
That’s an interesting take on things. 😳

In the end, this isn’t a big deal for Tesla or most other companies. It’s not like professional women are using abortion as a form of every day birth control.
That’s a bit narrow of a view. Many will not consider job openings in states with abortion bans out of principle. Also need to consider these employees have sons and daughters and will want to preserve their ability/right to decide when to become mothers/fathers. Also need to consider progressive males are likely to consider such things when weighing job offers in different states as well. Wife and I started the process to gain Portuguese residency (eventually citizenship) a week ago. Not specifically because of this issue, but because of the general eroding of democratic norms, including the peaceful transfer of power, and the loss of civility and ability to effectively govern here. We will spend our early retirement living the bulk of our time in Europe. I doubt we are alone. I’ll leave it here for my part as this is not the place for an in-depth discussion of these larger geopolitical discussions.
 
That’s a bit narrow of a view. Many will not consider job openings in states with abortion bans out of principle. Also need to consider these employees have sons and daughters and will want to preserve their ability/right to decide when to become mothers/fathers. Also need to consider progressive males are likely to consider such things when weighing job offers in different states as well. Wife and I started the process to gain Portuguese residency (eventually citizenship) a week ago. Not specifically because of this issue, but because of the general eroding of democratic norms, including the peaceful transfer of power, and the loss of civility and ability to effectively govern here. We will spend our early retirement living the bulk of our time in Europe. I doubt we are alone. I’ll leave it here for my part as this is not the place for an in-depth discussion of these larger geopolitical discussions.
Hey wait - Portugal's mine. I already called it...
 
That’s a bit narrow of a view. Many will not consider job openings in states with abortion bans out of principle. Also need to consider these employees have sons and daughters and will want to preserve their ability/right to decide when to become mothers/fathers. Also need to consider progressive males are likely to consider such things when weighing job offers in different states as well. Wife and I started the process to gain Portuguese residency (eventually citizenship) a week ago. Not specifically because of this issue, but because of the general eroding of democratic norms, including the peaceful transfer of power, and the loss of civility and ability to effectively govern here. We will spend our early retirement living the bulk of our time in Europe. I doubt we are alone. I’ll leave it here for my part as this is not the place for an in-depth discussion of these larger geopolitical discussions.

Sons and daughters have both the right and the ability to decide when to become parents. Parents just need to explain basic biology, responsibility and restraint.
 
You think the 500 most innovative female engineers in the world are inherently lazy and seek the path of least resistance?
Some of them, yes. Absolutely.
These people can go anywhere they want and work for any company they please. Yes 1/4 of them are already not willing to work in the US, but you can't deny we just lost another 1/4.
I’ve no idea how many we’ve ’lost’ because of this SCOTUS decision anymore than you do.

This isn’t the place to have this conversation, but you do need to know this isn’t somehow a big issue for Tesla.